Fred Crisman

Fred Crisman (July 22, 1920 - December 10, 1975) was a writer, educator, minor political provocateur, broadcaster and self-described "disruption agent" from Tacoma, Washington. He was a bizarre and enigmatic figure, whose name often appeared in unusual circumstances such as paranormal events and 20th century conspiracies.

Early life

Fred L Crisman was born 1920 in Washington, the only child of Fred Crisman and his wife Eva Pitchers, both from Iowa. His father was a salesman. [ [http://content.ancestry.com/Browse/view.aspx?dbid=6224&path=Washington.Pierce.Tacoma.178.28&fn=Fred%20L&ln=Crisman&st=r&pid=112494284&rc=&zp=75 1930 Census of Tacoma] ]

Shaver Mystery

In the mid-1940s, his name appears in the pages of pulp magazines, reporting on his own Shaver Mystery experiences via letters to the editor, warning of a threat from subterranean-dwelling "Deros," or "detrimental robots." He claimed to have encountered the beings while fighting as a commando in Burma during World War II, and wrote that he sustained injuries from a futuristic laser weapon.

Maury Island Incident

His name next appears as a key player in the strange Maury Island Incident, an early UFO encounter. Crisman claimed to have seen the objects in question, and to have collected debris. Many UFO researchers have dismissed this incident as an outright hoax, most likely perpetrated by Crisman, but others still believe the incident to be a genuine paranormal event.

"Murder of a City, Tacoma"

Crisman next appears in Tacoma in the late 1960s, railing against the city's form of government (i.e. City Manager). He hosted a radio talk show under the pseudonym "Jon Gold," and wrote a self-published book, "The Murder of a City, Tacoma". He was appointed by the mayor to serve on the Tacoma Public Library board.

John F. Kennedy Assassination

During this period, he was subpoenaed by Jim Garrison to testify in the case against Clay Shaw in the John F. Kennedy assassination. [Crisman, F. Lee; [http://www.aarclibrary.org/publib/jfk/garr/grandjury/pdf/Crisman.pdf pages 1-32] "Special Investigation", Orleans Parish Grand Jury, 21 November,1968] When Shaw was arrested, Crisman was the first person he called, apparently. cite book |last=Marrs |first=Jim | title=Alien Agenda|isbn=0-06-109686-5 |pages=128 Various conspiracy theories place Crisman on the grassy knoll, possibly as a radio operator, or as one of the three tramps taken into custody near Dealey Plaza. [The origin of this repeated claim appears to be the [http://www.newsmakingnews.com/torbitt.htm Torbitt Document] . "William Torbitt" is the pseudonym for a 1969 Texas lawyer-author-Kennedy Assassination-researcher who spells Crisman "Crismon". ] However, a log from Rainier High School where Crisman taught shows no substitute was required for Crisman on the day of the assassination, supporting Crisman's claim that he was teaching. [Kenn Thomas, "Maury Island UFO: The Crisman Conspiracy"] His Grand Jury testimony is now public, and in "Murder of a City, Tacoma", Crisman claimed no knowledge of a conspiracy, nor was he called as a witness in the actual trial.

Inslaw and "The Octopus"

Crisman died in 1975, but his name continues to resonate in the shady world of conspiracy theories. Michael Riconosciuto was a key player in the Inslaw Affair of the 1980s and 1990s, which may have led to the death of journalist Danny Casolaro [For further detail see: Thomas, Kenn. "Maury Island UFO" IllumiNet (1999)ISBN 1-881532-19-4] . Riconosciuto was a young electronics whiz from Tacoma who was a close acquaintance of Crisman's, and who helped Crisman sweep (and possibly plant) electronic eavesdropping devices during the years he was writing "Murder Of A City, Tacoma".

Books that mention Fred Crisman

* Beckh'am, T. E. (Thomas Beckham) "Remnants of Truth" ISBN 1424338123, 9781424338122
* Thomas, Kenn. "Maury Island UFO" IllumiNet (1999)ISBN 1-881532-19-4
* "Nomenclature of an Assassination Cabal" AKA "The Torbit Document" republished as "NASA, Nazis & JFK: The Torbitt Document & the Kennedy Assassination", AUP, US, 1996 paperback, ISBN 0-932813-39-9
* Fonzi, Gaeton. "The Last Investigation".
* Sprague, Richard E.. "The Taking of America 1, 2, 3".
* Marrs, Jim. "Alien Agenda - Investigating the Extraterrestrial Presence Among Us" HarperPaperBacks (1997)ISBN 0-06-109686-5

Magazines

* "UFO" 34 Vol.8 No. 5 "The Secret Life of Fred L. Crisman" by Anthony L. Kimery pp. 34-38

References

External links

* Torbitt, William (pseudonym); [http://www.newsmakingnews.com/torbitt.htm "1970 Nomenclature Of An Assassination Cabal"]
* Crisman, Fred; [http://www.majesticdocuments.com/personnel/crisman.php The Majestic Documents]
* [http://www.conspiracyplanet.com/channel.cfm?channelid=94&contentid=1033&page=2 Conspiracy Planet "Fred Crisman:Key Man in JFK/UFO Conspiracy/Coverup"]
* [http://www.disinfo.com/archive/pages/article/id904/pg1/ "Maury Island UFO: Fred Crisman and covert infiltration of ufology"]
* Thomas, Kenn; [http://www.fatemag.com/issues/2000s/2008-06article3.html "The Invasion Was Televised: Crisman and The Invaders"]
* [http://www.seattlechatclub.org/Arnold.html "Kenneth Arnold and The Maury Island Incident"]
* [http://www.aarclibrary.org/publib/jfk/garr/grandjury/pdf/Crisman.pdf "Fred Lee Crisman's Grand Jury Testimony for the Garrison Investigation"]